Strauss calls on England to improve

Wednesday 1 December 2010 22:35 BST

Andrew Strauss

Andrew Strauss is warning his team they have won nothing yet - and must improve to retain the Ashes in Australia this winter.

England earned rave reviews for their second-innings batting in the drawn first Test in Brisbane, where the top three batsmen - Strauss included - each made centuries. But that skill and resilience contrasted with their failure to post a match-controlling first-innings total, a theme which has recurred over an otherwise successful year in Test cricket.

"For us to be jumping up and down and congratulating each other would be a long way off the mark," Strauss said ahead of the second Test which will get under way at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. "We are 0-0 in the series, and this Test takes on even greater importance. We are going to have to improve our performance."

He added: "We showed a lot of resilience to come back - which is great - but you can't afford to be behind in cricket matches too often, because eventually the other team will convert that."

Strauss appears less concerned with remnant bad memories of England's last Test match at this venue in 2006/07 - when they lost from an impregnable position, having piled up 551 for six declared in their first innings.

"There are a lot of memories from four years ago we want to banish," he said.

"We played some of our best cricket of the tour here, but obviously the final day is one none of us are proud of.

"But a lot has changed since then, and I don't think it's that relevant any more.

"They don't have the likes of Shane Warne - but neither does anyone. It would be very naive of us to underestimate them."